1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel and improved operating mechanism for use with two or more latch assemblies to form a plural-point lock--typically a two-point lock that preferably employs a pair of slam-capable rotary latches that each has a single rotary jaw that is releasably retained in its latched position by a rotary pawl, with the latch having a pair of spaced housing side plates that sandwich the rotary jaw and the rotary pawl, with the side plates defining aligned first and second U-shaped notches that cooperate with a third U-shaped notch formed in the rotary jaw to concurrently receive and latchingly retain within the confines of the first, second and third U-shaped notches a suitably configured strike formation, with housing side plate portions that define a selected one of the first and second U-shaped notches being rigidified and strengthened by the close proximity presence of a flange 1) that is formed integrally with side plate portions that define the selected notch and 2) that extends transversely to bridge between the housing side plates at a location near the first and second U-shaped notches. Features of the invention also reside in the versatile, modular nature of the operating mechanism, and in advantages provided by formations of "front" and "rear" operating mechanism "modules" that cooperate to reinforce and strengthen the resulting lock to provide a reliable, tamper-resistant operating mechanism capable of functioning well during a lengthy service life.
2. Prior Art
Flush mountable lock operating mechanisms that employ paddle-type handles nested within pan-shaped housings, and that have linkages for operating plural, remotely located latch assemblies are known. However, known operating mechanisms tend not to be "modular" (i.e., they tend not to group their components to form "front" and "rear" assemblies or "modules"). Known forms of flush-mountable, paddle-handle-operable, plural-point locks having "non-modular" operating mechanisms are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,478 issued Nov. 17, 1987 to Jye P. Swan et al, entitled ROTARY HANDLE OPERATED DOOR LOCK, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,892,338 issued Jan. 9, 1990 to Lee S. Weinerman et al, entitled PLURAL POINT DOOR LOCK AND FLUSH-MOUNTABLE OPERATING MECHANISM WITH DETENT, the disclosures of which patents are incorporated herein by reference.
A variety of two-point latches and locks having operating mechanisms that are neither "modular" nor flush-mountable also are known, as typified by U.S. Pat. No. 2,729,089 issued Jan. 3, 1956 to Albert L. Pelcin, entitled SOLENOID-CONTROLLED DOOR LOCK; U.S. Pat. No. 3,333,878 issued Aug. 1, 1967 to Albert L. Pelcin, entitled DOOR CONTROL MECHANISM; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,641,865 issued Feb. 10, 1987 to John V. Pastva, entitled CLOSURE CONTROL MECHANISM, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Flush-mountable operating mechanisms that are "non-modular" and that employ relatively complex arrangements of motion-transmitting links that extend between operating mechanisms and remotely located rotary latch assemblies also are known, as is exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 4,896,906 issued Jan. 30, 1990 to Lee S. Weinerman et al, entitled VEHICLE DOOR LOCK SYSTEM; U.S. Pat. No. 4,917,412 issued Apr. 17, 1990 to Jye P. Swan et al, entitled VEHICLE DOOR LOCK SYSTEM PROVIDING A PLURALITY OF SPACED ROTARY LATCHES; U.S. Pat. No. 5,069,491 issued Dec. 3, 1991 to Lee S. Weinerman et al, entitled VEHICLE DOOR LOCK SYSTEM; and, U.S. Pat. No. 5,117,665 issued Jun. 2, 1992 to Jye P. Swan et al, entitled VEHICLE DOOR LOCK SYSTEM, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Flush mountable, paddle-handle-operated latches and locks are known that employ "non-modular" operating mechanisms that are carried directly on pan-shaped housings together with rotary latch assemblies, as is exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 4,320,642 issued Mar. 23, 1982 to John V. Pastva, Jr., entitled PADDLE LOCKS WITH HANDLE DISCONNECT FEATURES, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The rotary latch assemblies that are disclosed in several of the above-mentioned patents are of a relatively heavy duty type and often are employed in "personnel restraint applications," typically on doors of passenger compartments of vehicles. These heavy duty units employ pairs of housing-mounted rotary jaws, with the jaws being sandwiched between pairs of housing side plates, with the jaws and a rotary pawl being supported for movement by bushings that extend between and are rigidly connected at their opposite ends to the housing side plates, and with notches that are formed in each pair of rotary jaws being configured to receive and engage opposite sides of a suitably configured strike formation, typically a cylindrical stem of a striker pin. While both of the housing side plates are provided with U-shaped notches, neither of these notches defines a strike engagement surface that cooperates with a notched rotary jaw to latchingly receive and releasably retain a strike formation. The notches that are formed in the jaws, not the notches that are formed in the housing side plates, receive, engage and latchingly retain suitably configured strike formations.
Lighter duty rotary latch and lock units that employ single rotary jaws also are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,312,203 issued Jan. 26, 1982 to Edwin W. Davis entitled FLUSH-MOUNTABLE LOCK WITH ACTUATOR DISCONNECT FEATURE discloses 1) the use of a single rotary latch jaw that is nested within and supported by portions of the housing of a flush mountable paddle-handle assembly, and 2) the use of a single U-shaped housing-carried notch that cooperates with the U-shaped notch formed in a rotary jaw to receive and latchingly retain a generally cylindrical strike formation. The disclosure of this patent also is incorporated herein by reference.
3. The Referenced Parent Cases
Not addressed by the patents that are identified above is a long-standing need for a relatively light duty rotary latch that employs only a single rotary jaw instead of a pair of rotary jaws, that employs first and second housing side plates that define, respectively, first and second notches that are of generally U-shape, with the first and second U-shaped notches being positioned and aligned for cooperating with a third U-shaped notch that is formed in the single rotary jaw to receive and latchingly retain within the confines of the first, second and third notches a suitably configured strike formation, and with the latch making advantageous use of a transversely extending flange that is formed integrally with one of the first and second housing side plates to rigidify and strengthen housing side plate portions that define a strike-engaging surface of at least one of the aligned first and second U-shaped notches. Features of the inventions of the referenced Parent Cases address this need, and, in preferred practice, the present invention employs some of these features.
Also not addressed by the patents that are identified above is a long-standing need for a two-point latch and/or lock that has its operating mechanism divided between a pair of easy-to-mount front and rear "modules," with the front module being flush-mountable, and with the rear module including a stamped metal mounting bracket 1) that assists in securely mounting the handle and housing of the "front" module on a closure, and 2) that itself mounts linkage including an operating arm that is connectible to a variety of types of latch assemblies including the advantageous type of rotary latch assembly that is described above. The inventions of the referenced Parent Cases do not concern themselves with plural-point locks and latches, but do utilize modular operating mechanisms and rotary latch assemblies.
4. The Referenced Companion and Sister Cases
The referenced Companion Design Case relates to a design for a Handle and Housing Assembly that is employed in carrying out the preferred practice of the present invention. The referenced Companion Utility Case relates to a Handle Operated Rotary Latch and Lock that preferably utilizes the design of the Companion Design Case, and that preferably shares other features in common with the present invention and the inventions of the Parent Cases. The invention of the referenced Sister Case preferably makes use of selected features of the present invention and the inventions of the Parent Cases.